human rights

  • On Monday, March 26, 2012 the president of one of Rocinha’s three residents associations (AMABB) was shot and killed. Vanderlan Barros de Oliveira, known as Feijão, walked a short distance out of the association’s headquarters when he was shot at five times in broad day light by a man on a motorcycle wearing a helmet.…

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  • ( a brief on organized crime and security policy in Rocinha. ) Mundo Real’s home community of Rocinha has entered a defining moment in its almost 90 year history. But before continuing it is worth mentioning that organized crime and security policy are very sensitive issues in Rocinha, and for us, a small community-based organization…

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  •   Motor Taxis are a common form of transportation within favelas, especially in Rocinha where there are an estimated 2000 motorcycles in an area of .04 square miles. At the bottom of Rocinha, a concentrated crowd of motor taxis waits to pick up passengers before dispersing throughout the community. About two Saturdays ago, I rode…

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  • During the morning of 29 April, 2011, the doors to the reception hall at the headquarters of the Public Defender’s Center for Land and Housing (NUTH) were closed and locked to city residents. This local government office is responsible for defending the civil and human rights of Rio de Janeiro’s resident. Reports indicate that a…

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  • The head of Amnesty International was in Rio de Janeiro this week and met with victims who have been forcibly removed from their homes. Secretary General Salil Shetty’s presence in Brazil demonstrates the seriousness of the issue from an international perspective, and is one of many recent events that is slowly increasing pressure and shedding…

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  • Mundo Real emerged from the idea of combining our considerable experience living in Rocinha with our significant knowledge of other marginalized urban communities. Most of Mundo Real’s team was either born in these urban environments or has lived significant time in them. This organic knowledge together with years of studying urbanization, inequality, human rights, sustainable…

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